Unmanned

From customer to sanctioned ‘proliferator,’ drones extend Iran’s reach

Iranian contractors and government officials have picked up on market demand, frequenting arms expos and other events in Russia, Iraq, Qatar and more.

Anduril pairs with Korean shipbuilder to design new unmanned platforms

Anduril and HD Hyundai will collaborate to pair American software and autonomy with South Korean mass manufacturing in shipbuilding.

Marines pick three companies for loitering munitions program

The weapon would give squads and platoons air firepower at their fingertips.

How US Navy experiments could get drones beyond spying and into battle

The Navy is trying to make unmanned systems a more normal part of daily operations, even as experimentation continues to refine concepts of operations.

Sea-Air-Space 2024: All the cutting-edge tech at Navy’s largest show

From an eclipse that yanked attendees to the waterfront to a surprise appearance by Lance Cpl. Chesty XVI, here’s what you may have missed.

Project Overmatch’s Small says EW is ‘killer app’ for unmanned tech

The Navy is investing in unmanned systems — on the water, as well as above and below it — to augment existing and near-future firepower.

South Korean military paves way for robotic vehicles in its ranks

Defense companies Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Aerospace are jockeying for position in what promises to become a milestone acquisition program.

Italian government halts plan to buy Israeli undersea drones

The defense ministry has abruptly withdrawn a $273 million funding request to parliament for three Blue Whale drones, made by Elta Systems.

Del Toro dubs robotics specialists next step in ‘truly hybrid’ fleet

The Navy's top civilian called the establishment of a robotics warfare rating "a significant milestone" in the service's journey toward a hybrid fleet.

Northrop completes Manta Ray underwater drone prototype

An image — darkened along the edges and sporting a sparse backdrop — shows its glider-like body and a rounded nose. Little can be seen of the tail.

Shield AI to let Hivemind software fly three more aircraft

The company has already folded the autonomous flight software into three classes of quadcopters, the V-Bat drone, the F-16 jet and the MQM-178 drone.

Polish defense leaders push ‘dronization’ of the armed forces

Observations from Russia's war against Ukraine have spurred a plan to create dedicated Drone Forces within the Polish military.

Saildrone, Thales collaborating on sub-sensing unmanned surface vessel

U.S. Navy leadership has advocated for a hybrid fleet, with sailors and Marines augmented by smart machines and the equipment they carry.

Ukrainian forces rig machine gun networks to down Russian drones

The fallback tactics towards mobile, low-cost defenses come as sophisticated interceptor missiles donated by Western allies are running low.

Anduril to supply robotic combat vehicle software to US Army

RCVs are unmanned systems envisioned to work alongside soldiers, schlepping supplies or surveilling adversaries with sophisticated sensors.

Opinion

To reinvent itself, the US Air Force must go big on small drones

Small drones, employed in large quantities, can provide staying power in an ephemeral warfighting domain, analysts argue.